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Jeremy Piven Broadway exit heads to arbitration

Jeremy Piven holds his award for outstanding supporting actor for his role in 'Entourage'' as he arrives at the Governor's Ball following the 60th annual Primetime Emmy Awards in Los Angeles September 21, 2008. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A dispute over actor Jeremy Piven's abrupt departure from the Broadway play "Speed the Plow" will be heard by an arbitrator in June, producers said on Wednesday.

The Emmy-award winning star of HBO's "Entourage" left the Broadway play in December, two months before his run ended, because of health concerns due to mercury poisoning. Piven attributed the condition to eating fish frequently.

The producers filed a grievance against Piven with Actors' Equity, which was heard in February. Piven, 43, avoided any union penalties and the producers of the show decided to take their case to arbitration.

The producers said in a statement that they were preparing their case and have requested information from Piven "relating to his claims that an alleged illness required him to leave the show."

"The information requested includes, among other things, medical records and documentation of Mr. Piven's activities both during and after the run of the show," they said.

The arbitration will be heard in New York on June 8-9.

(Reporting by Michelle Nichols)

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